This invention relates to portable receptacles, rigid and flexible, and more particularly to a divider or organizer to be inserted therein to provide plural compartments.
The present invention relates to both rigid and flexible, portable receptacles, and particularly to a collapsible and removable insert for placement therein, where typical receptacles may be selected from rigid-like coolers, to flexible-like bags, such as purses and related type fabric bags. A feature hereof is the provision of a rigid, yet foldable insert having removably attached panels to divide the insert into plural compartments.
The prior art, as reflected in the following patents, teach a number of collapsible or compartmented receptacles. However, none are directed to a collapsible insert for easy use with existing receptacles.
Such prior art patents are
a.) U.S. Patent No. D-348,390, to Van Ness, discloses a collapsible box, such as may be placed in the trunk of an automobile, for holding and transporting groceries in bags.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,602, to Nainis et al., discloses a very specific use box. The box thereof relates to a carton for holding wet books and like materials during transport to and processing at a freezing and freeze drying or vacuum drying facility. The carton is fabricated as a laminated corrugated carton from a high density polymer that may be stored in a flat condition, assembled to hold the books or like materials and after their processing collapsed for storage. The carton has openings throughout to facilitate extraction of fluids.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,612, to Liu, discloses a compact lunch box consisting of a collapsible carrier body and a collapsible casing both having walls made of a thermal insulative material. In the erected state, the lower casing may be removably mounted with a plurality of mounting webs at the bottom side of the carrier body for containing food and beverage. In the collapsed state, the lower casing can also be conveniently mounted at the bottom of the carrier body to form a compact assembly which can be stored in a briefcase or a school bag.
d.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,146, to Goranson, discloses a collapsible box having foldable wall and bottom assemblies which are connected to opposite sides of a central partition wall. Each wall and bottom assembly includes a main wall, a bottom panel pivoted to the lower edge of the main wall, and foldable sidewalls having one edge pivoted to the side edges of the main wall. The opposite edges of the foldable sidewalls are pivotally but detachably connected to the central partition wall.
A review of the prior art does not reveal any hits or suggestions as to how to provide a foldable insert for a portable receptacle. The manner by which the goals hereof are met by the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention relates to a rigid, yet foldable divider for removable insertion into a portable receptacle. The divider, also may be called an organizer, comprises four upstanding, planar walls hingedly joined to form a generally rectangular profile in the operative position, a pair of spaced-apart, generally parallel first fabric fastener strips, i.e. VELCRO fastening strips, secured intermediately of the upstanding walls about the inside thereof. Further, there are a plurality of generally rectangular, planar divider inserts having at least a first dimension side equal to a side dimension of at least one upstanding wall. The divider inserts, along a first dimension side, include a complementary second fabric fastener strip, such as VELCRO, whereby the divider inserts may be removably and selectively attached within the four upstanding walls to the first fastener strips to divide the rigid and foldable divider into plural compartments.
Accordingly, a object of this invention is to transform an ordinary and known type of receptacle, such as a fabric-like bag, into a compartmentalized receptacle.
A further object hereof is a receptacle that may be personalized by the user to provide compartments within a receptacle that are sized to meet specific requirements of the user.
These and other objects will become clearer to those skilled in the art from the following specification.